The state of emergency announced by the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday night covers the whole of Ukraine except for the two Russian-backed regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
- This means that Ukraine is preparing for a war, says Magnus Christiansson, senior lecturer in war science at the Swedish National Defense College in SVT's Aktuellt.
"Strong signal"
The permit is valid for 30 days with the possibility of extension for another 30 days.
This gives the government greater power to protect the population and the state.
But that does not mean that martial law will come into force.
Among other things, a ban on crowds and strikes is introduced.
Curfew may become relevant.
In addition, the protection of sensitive infrastructure is strengthened.
The permit also gives the state an increased right to personal and vehicle inspections.
SVT's foreign reporter Carl Fridh Kleberg describes the decision as "a strong signal that the tone has been raised and that the security assessment has been tightened".
- The United States is said to have provided information to Ukraine and NATO allies that Russia is planning an imminent military offensive, he says in SVT's Direkt.
The army is strengthened
Oleksij Danilov, chairman of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, described the measures as preventive.
- The purpose is to maintain peace and quiet in our country, he told the news agency Reuters before the permit was announced.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that citizens between the ages of 18 and 60, who are part of the military reserve, have been called in to strengthen the army and other military units.
In addition, Parliament has voted in favor of giving the civilian population the right to bear arms.